Something happened on the Joban train line this morning. I got to the station, and while it was the most crowded I'd ever seen it, everyone was very quiet and somber save for a few crying children. There weren't any trains, and every few minutes the stationmaster gave an announcement over the intercom. He was saying some things regarding other stations, and he kept saying "terrible." After a while, a train came, and it was so packed that not everyone could get on it, which is saying a lot when you consider how much people can get on a Tokyo commuter train. This was an hour or so after rush hour, too. I managed to get on the second train that came, although it too was ridiculously full.

I arrived at our meeting place in Shinjuku Station about 15 minutes late, but I wasn't the last one there. Emma (who also uses the Joban line) was on the train until 45 after. She said that whatever happened probably happened at her station (Kameari), judging by all the cop cars she saw.

Today was our "introduction to the train system," although in practice it was more like a race. We split into two groups and took opposite directions around a five line loop. Coral, Simon, and I lost by a couple minutes.

On the way back home I got an email from Tomoko, saying there wasn't gonna be anyone in the house until 7:30 because they were at a Labo party. It being 5:30, I got out at Ikebukuro and explored a bit. I like to think of Ikebukuro as the "expensive" district, maybe in a vegas sort of way. There are tons of panchinko parlors, gaming arcades (mostly consisting of those crane games), movie theaters, restaurants, and entertainment shops (music, movies, games, electronics, etc.). There are some dollar store type places too, although I wouldn't exactly consider their stocks "bargains." I guess you could consider the place a good date spot, assuming your date doesn't mind the seizure-inducing electric signage all over the place.